My WWE Raw, 26th August 2013 Recap

The champ looks on at his handiwork. Photo credit: WWE.com 

Triple H kicked things off by reminding us of his actions towards Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam and on last week's Raw, explaining that what he did at SS was for "business" but the beat down he orchestrated on the former champ last Monday was "personal" after the way he'd spoken about his family. 'The Game' then claimed that the ratings and social media scoring were through the roof last week due to their new WWE Champion that he brought out, Randy Orton.

The COO rewarded Orton for grabbing the brass ring and running with it (in his words) by gifting him a brand new Cadillac payed for out of his own pocket. Daniel Bryan then also came out and first thanked all the fans for supporting him, John Cena for giving him the title match at SummerSlam and finally Triple H for revealing his true self when he Pedigreed him at the aforementioned event. He also added that he'll most certainly be recapturing the WWE Title come Night of Champions. 

Trips retorted by claiming that in the real world dreams don't always come true and then booked Bryan in a Gauntlet Match against The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) who'd also been guarding the ring during the enjoyable opening segment.  

Cody Rhodes pinned Fandango in a brief and unremarkable encounter that existed only to lead on to another match up afterwards. Rhodes caught Fandango in a roll up for the one-two-three after the ballroom dancer was distracted by The Miz reenacting/mocking his entrance. 

Damien Sandow (who'd provided guest commentary) took this chance to attack his rival Rhodes along with Fandango, so Miz saved Cody from the double team attack and helped send them packing. Raw GM Brad Maddox then predictably booked all four men in a tag team match, amusingly even mentioning that fans should see what's coming here. 

Cody Rhodes and The Miz bested Damien Sandow and Fandango in an average to fair tag bout. The wrestlers did fine, but you wouldn't miss a great deal by fast forwarding through this one. Miz gave the only real worthwhile performance, and also gained the win with a Skull Crushing Finale on Sandow after Fandango had abandoned his partner and walked up the ramp.

CM Punk defeated Curtis Axel in a stellar back and fourth contest. As usual these two delivered top displays in the ring, never putting a foot wrong. As per the stipulation (as voted for online by the fans) Paul Heyman had to then enter the ring with Punk, at first he tried to run away but he was then dragged into the ring by officials much to Punk's delight. 

But as the victor was about to get his hands on his former mentor, Axel popped up with a low blow and handcuffed him. Punk made a brief comeback and got in a few kicks on Heyman and the IC Champion but once again Curtis came to the rescue of his manager and cracked him with a steel chair. Heyman then received a kendo stick and began viciously beating on Punk in and outside the ring to end the dramatic segment, screaming that he once loved him and he broke his heart.

Brie Bella beat Natalya in a forgettable outing. Natalya did the best she could but unfortunately some sloppiness and instructions clearly being told by Brie spoilt it a bit. Much like their last match their fellow Total Divas counterparts tangled outside the ring.

Divas Champion AJ Lee then addressed the divas and their 'reality' show, receiving support from the fans for putting down the show that's been rammed down our throats every week, thereby encouraging more Bellas in the ring unfortunately. She added that all they were to her were "cheap, interchangeable, expendable, useless women," which for all of them bar Natalya, I agree with. She went on to claim that she'd done more in a year than all of them in their collective careers, which again is true for most of them. It was the strongest promo AJ's ever given, and I agreed with every single word of it. It was funny to see the sour reactions from the rest of the female wrestlers too.

Rob Van Dam pinned Alberto Del Rio in a passable, if a bit of a disappointing affair. I was personally expecting a bit more here from these two talents. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad but there were a few botched moments and I never really got into it like I did with the far superior bouts the World Champion has had with Christian recently. I can see Ricardo Rodriguez turning on RVD come Night of Champions in the title match which Van Dam earned with the win here. 

During an interview Ryback grabbed Josh Matthews by the head and chucked him to the ground after being questioned about his bullying antics backstage as of late. 

Randy Orton beat Christian in an entertaining effort. Much like the brilliant series they had back in 2011 both men worked very well together. Granted there were a few off moments, but the tight wrestling and effective near falls more than made up for it. Orton gained the win after poking Christian in the eye unknown to the referee, then struck with an RKO. Afterwards Bryan appeared on the big screen and sarcastically congratulated him on the win, then revealed that he'd spray painted 'Yes' all over his brand new Cadillac.

Triple H ordered Brad Maddox to bring out every WWE wrestler to the stage and watch Bryan's match later on as a lesson, and if any of them interfere they're immediately fired.

Titus O'Neil bested Jack Swagger in a fair but unmemorable bout. It was watchable, but there was nothing remarkable about it. It felt more like filler than anything, although I understand utilising Darren Young with his current popularity.

Backstage a furious Punk demanded a match with Heyman from Brad Maddox. So the GM booked him in an elimination handicap one against Heyman and Axel at Night of Champions, and if Heyman tries to get out of it he'll never be seen again.

Before the main event Renee Young tried to interview Big Show, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz on the Handicap Match they were about to witness and the current situation with Triple H, but they refused to answer in fear of loosing their jobs. 

Daniel Bryan won the Gauntlet Match versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose). Daniel Bryan first defeated Seth Rollins in a superb contest. It was gripping stuff from the opening bell, and the best one on one match Rollins has had on the main roster. Both men deserve credit for top efforts here.

Bryan went on to win via disqualification versus Rollins and Ambrose after each of them would break up his Yes Lock attempts on the other Shield member. The trio continued to assault Bryan after, spearing him and then triple powerbombing him with the nod from Triple H. The COO looked on at the wrestlers on the stage, checking if anyone wanted to say something, but no one did. Orton also came out and RKO'd Bryan for good measure. Big Show looked desperate to do something but refused to, which struck me as odd considering he has an iron clad contract anyway, he couldn't have gotten fired? 

Overall it was an enjoyable Raw, with a few solid and above average bouts for TV and significant progress in the bigger storylines. Plus that tremendous (and truthful) promo from AJ. Admittedly it wasn't as strong as last week's show, but that was pretty exceptional. my highlights were CM Punk versus Axel, Christian versus Orton, AJ Lee's speech and the lively Gauntlet Match.    

My WWE Payback predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Three Stages Of Hell WWE Championship Match:

Stage 1 - Lumberjack Match; Stage 2 - Tables Match; Stage 3 - Ambulance Match: John Cena (c) versus Ryback:

I'm quite optimistic about this one, especially after their entertaining outing at Extreme Rules last month. Considering the limitations of these two talents the bookers made a smart move by having them compete in stipulation bouts, with plenty of distractions and weapons to keep things interesting for the viewers. I've been going back and fourth but I can actually see an upset here and Ryback taking the title, to shake things up a bit and get people checking out Raw Monday night. If not then at least it's a suitable way to finalise their feud.

Winner: Ryback

World Heavyweight Championship Match -  Dolph Ziggler (c) versus Alberto Del Rio:

I can't see this being anything but stellar in the ring, but to be honest I've grown tired of their feud and Del Rio in general as of late so I can't say I'm too hyped for this one. But at least this should mean that Ziggler moves on to a more engaging and exciting rivalry over the World Title next. 

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Best In The World Match - Chris Jericho versus CM Punk:

The match me and I presume the majority fans are mostly anticipating tonight, not only is it the return of one of the companies top overall talents but it should be a terrific contest. I personally very much enjoyed their previous two pay-per-view encounters, so I'll be shocked if I fail to enjoy this one. I know some fans have predicted that Punk will fail to turn up, but I just can't see it. This is one of the big attractions of the event (well the biggest attraction of it) and I can't imagine that WWE would be foolish enough to short change all the many fans who are paying for the main reason of seeing the return of CM Punk. 

Oh, and the returning Punk to win, always bet on the returning wrestler, always.

Winner: CM Punk

Tag Team Championships Match - The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) (c) versus Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton:

Well when you consider the fantastic form that these four men have been in as of late in match ups together, it's hard to imagine this match being anything but entertaining. Despite The Shield's first six-man loss on SmackDown last Friday, I can't see them dropping the tag straps just yet. Plus I see the slow burning Bryan and Orton feud developing with a big argument after their loss.

Winners: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns

Triple Threat Intercontinental Championship Match - Wade Barrett (c) versus The Miz versus Curtis Axel:

Should be a decent enough match here, but nothing that special I reckon. With his recent run it's hardly a shock that I'm picking Axel to pick up his first singles strap, hopefully he'll add some much needed relevance to it.

Winner: Curtis Axel

United States Championship Match - Dean Ambrose (c) versus Kane:

My prediction to open the event. Quality-wise I expect this to be an enjoyable affair, not either man's finest but something worth checking out. As I typed earlier I can't see The Shield dropping any titles yet, and I think it'd be a daft move if they did. They still have quite a few significant feuds in them for a while to come and their strong booking needs to keep up.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Divas Championship Match - Kaitlyn (c) versus AJ Lee:

I'm not expecting a great match here at all to be honest, but I am grateful for the thought that has actually gone into this rivalry, it's a lot more than any other Divas feud has received in a long time. I also see AJ picking up the belt, based on her current string of wins and Kaitlyn loosing her mind a bit. 

Winner: AJ Lee

Pre-Show - Sheamus versus Damien Sandow:

Should be okay to get the crowd going, but I don't foresee a technical marvel by any stretch of the imagination between these two. It would seem like a waste of their feud for me if Sheamus won, I have nothing against him but imagine the faith lost in any future Sandow push if he were to loose cleanly here in their first PPV outing. Plus Sheamus could quickly recover from a loss here. So considering all that I can see Sandow grabbing a cheeky win in a heel-like fashion somehow.

Winner: Damien Sandow 

My WWE SmackDown, 31st May 2013 Recap

Orton and Kane celebrate with an explosive Bryan. Photo credit: WWE.com

Kane pinned Seth Rollins in a fine effort by both men. Granted, it won't be a match you'll be looking up a year from now, but it was still enjoyable and the best contest these two have put on together so far. 

Roman Reigns won via disqualification versus Daniel Bryan after Kane was provoked into slapping Reigns in the face, this caused the former tag champs to argue all the way down the ramp. The match itself had been a stellar one, largely thanks to the hard work of the superb Bryan.

Roman also played his part well here, although I worry when he eventually goes on his own his shortcomings will be more visible, but hopefully I'm proven wrong and he's more capable by then. And I do appreciate what he's done so far, but he still has a bit of work to do in the ring.

Damien Sandow reminded us all of Sheamus' brutish actions last week when he attempted to untie the Gordian knot, and then revealed his latest challenge in the form of the shell game. Soon Sheamus came out and decided to try the game so he could hurry and get Sandow out of the ring and shut him up, so the 'Intellectual Saviour' accepted.

Unfortunately for "Damo" (as Sheamus calls him) he was caught cheating the 'Celtic Warrior' as he had removed the ball he had to find under the cup, so Sheamus responded with a Brogue Kick. Much like their segment last week I enjoyed it, it was a bit of simple fun and Sandow is always entertaining on the mic. Hopefully the feud can develop and deliver Damien a much needed win against the Irishman on PPV.

Before his following match Curtis Axel bragged about his wins against Cena and Triple H, claiming that no one had made an impact like him in such a short time in WWE (we're obviously meant to forget his first few years there, right?). Axel was solid on the mic, and is definitely showing more charisma than when he was first introduced by Heyman.   

Curtis Axel beat Sin Cara in a fair encounter. It was a fun enough watch, although nothing outstanding about it. Hopefully Axel moves on to defeat more varied opponents on the blue brand in the near future. I also hope he brings back his running swinging neckbreaker finisher as apposed to the bridging cradle suplex he's adopted from his dad, he's his own man and should have a more unique finisher like the neckbreaker.

Big E Langston pinned Alberto Del Rio in a worthy enough effort from both men. For me this was the best bout in their series so far, and surprisingly enjoyable, maybe that's just because I wasn't expecting much from it. For the finish AJ Lee attacked the eyes of Del Rio, allowing Big E to ram him skull first into a ringpost and apply the Big Ending for the big (no pun intended) win.

Ryback beat Kofi Kingston in an uninspiring and pretty forgettable match up. Kofi as usual was decent enough, but the match just felt flat for me. Afterwards Ryback decided to send a message to Cena and put Kofi through not one, not two, but three tables. Now that was memorable. Maybe WWE could make the most from this for Kofi and actually reinvent him or turn him heel after he makes his return, he really needs something to change.

Chris Jericho defeated Cody Rhodes in a passable contest. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed here, as a fan of both men and their talents I was expecting a bit more but it never seemed to going, with the sequences feeling too forced and unnatural. Maybe I'm being more critical than normal, but I just didn't really get into to be honest.

Randy Orton won via DQ versus Dean Ambrose in a solid main event and match of the night. Both men gave worthy efforts here and worked well together, with the US Champion more than holding his own against 'The Viper' as they battled back and fourth.

The disqualification occurred when Rollins and Reigns ran down and attacked Orton. This cued Team Hell No to also come out and help take out The Shield trio, with Bryan becoming a one-man tank as he tore through all three men in a ferocious fashion, it was awesome. And the fans loved it too as they almost all chanted along with his signature "Yes!" chants. I'm really liking this new aggressive direction Bryan is taking as of late, and hoping it'll bring him a World strap again at some point. 

Overall it was a pretty unremarkable show for the most part, but fortunately Orton versus Ambrose, the Sandow and Sheamus segment and anything involving the very much in-form Bryan made it worth watching. And to be fair there weren't any terrible matches outside of the ones mentioned, so I'll take that for a SmackDown. 

My WWE Raw, 20th May 2013 Recap

Apparently Kane enjoyed that missile dropkick. Photo credit: WWE.com

Ryback kicked things off by arriving in the back of an ambulance, challenging Cena to an Ambulance match at Payback next month after the champion had refused to enter one the previous night after Extreme Rules. He went on to then call all the fans "weak" and "pathetic," living their lives with no direction or purpose. 

Chris Jericho and The Miz beat Fandango and Wade Barrett in an amusing tag bout. The action was okay, but it was Fandango that made the match memorable by leaving his partner Barrett halfway through the match and dancing with his usual dance partner Summer Rae. Afterwards Jericho and Miz then chased off Fandango, leaving Y2J to dance a little with Summer and get some retribution by putting his hand in her face and embarrassing her. 

Sheamus pinned Titus O'Neil in a fair outing. There were some drab periods but on the whole it was a watchable match up, with O'Neil being made to look very competitive against the Irishman.

Paul Heyman came to the ring and boasted about his client Brock Lesnar being remembered forever as a beast, while Triple H a "looser" after their Steel Cage match the previous night. He then revealed his brand new client Curt Axel (formerly Michael Mcgillicutty) and claimed that he hadn't already earned a main event spot because his families legacy, saying that management in the back didn't appreciate it. 

Triple H then joined them and stated that he wasn't embarrassed by his loss to Lesnar, that he was proud that he took the fight to and went to war with him. Axel then fronted 'The Game', warning him that things had changed, so Trips responded with a punch and announced that he'll face him in a match that very night.

Heyman's terrific mic work would normally be my highlight for most segments involving him, but to be honest this time it was just the fact that a young talent (and one that's proven to be more than capable in the ring) received a worthwhile spotlight. A rare thing in WWE as of late.

Big E Langston bested Alberto Del Rio in a largely pedestrian contest. There were a few decent moments but it was never any remarkable. Langston grabbed the win after AJ Lee had distracted the referee, allowing him to thumb Del Rio in the eye and apply a Big End.

AJ Lee beat Layla in an average and forgettable affair. Neither lady gave a display to boast about, which was a bit disappointing for Layla who's never outstanding but reliable. AJ grabbed the submission victory with her Black Widow octopus hold. 

Cody Rhodes pinned Zack Ryder in a filler match up. Neither man gave a bad display but they didn't exactly go out there to set the world alight either. Afterwards Ryback stormed out and attacked Ryder further, eventually Shell Shocking him and putting him into the parked ambulance which drove away. 

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) came out and bragged about taking out The Rock, The Undertaker and pushing Ryback so far he snapped, and added that the fans had no choice but to believe in them now after obtaining the WWE Tag Team and US Titles at Extreme Rules. For me they're the most entertaining act in the company right now.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) defeated Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston in an enthralling six-man tag bout, and probably the best Raw match of the year so far. The action in the second half was blistering, especially from a superb Bryan, with an exhilarating final sequence. For me it's one of The Shield's top outings to date. I can't really recommend this match much more, just do yourself a favour and watch it.

Randy Orton beat Jack Swagger in a decent enough outing. Both men provided stellar wrestling, but there was a lack of drama or excitement and I was struggling to find the interest to be honest. Orton grabbed the one-two-three after applying an RKO. Looks like Swagger's hopes of gaining the World Title anytime soon are quickly vanishing. 

Triple H versus Curtis Axel ended as a No Contest after Triple H seemed to apparently suffer a concussion and have to be dragged away. Up until that point the match had been okay, with 'The Game' dominating for the most part and Axel getting in a fair bit of offense. I think a win over a suffering Triple H would've been the way to go for Axel myself, even a cheap win would've helped him out that bit more.

Overall it was a pedestrian show for the most part, but fortunately Heyman's Curtis Axel announcement and the terrific Shield versus Kofi and Team Hell No contest made it worth watching. Plus Triple H's concussion gave us an intriguing ending, was he drugged by Heyman perhaps? Here's also hoping Axel gets the same dedication as The Shield from the booking team, although I would've loved Cesaro to have been in that spot too, but Axel is capable.  

My WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Recap

The Shield celebrate with the gold. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz beat Cody Rhodes in a rather lacklustre and sloppy pre-show bout. Miz looked a bit out of sorts here and made more than a few errors, while Cody gave a pretty unremarkable showing too. 

Chris Jericho pinned Fandango in a fair encounter. Much like their WrestleMania match Jericho did most of the hard work, while Fandango looked alright, but still has some work to do in the ring. Jericho gained the one-two-three after applying a nicely executed Codebreaker as Fandango came off the top rope in the highlight of the match.

Dean Ambrose defeated Kofi Kingston (c) to obtain the United States Championship in a solid contest. Both men gave worthy efforts, albeit a few slightly sloppy moments but that wasn't enough to spoil an otherwise enjoyable match up. Afterwards the new champ's Shield teammates joined him to celebrate. 

Sheamus bested Mark Henry in a Strap match. Perhaps not the most exciting match of this kind but it was decent enough for the most part, with both men giving passable displays. 

Before Swagger versus Del Rio kicked off, Zeb Colter started blaming the government and the people for the state of America in this day and age, confusingly then bringing up the poor showings from St. Louis' baseball teams. The promo felt like a waste of time and dragged on far too long, I'm hoping this whole gimmick is killed off soon.

Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger in an I Quit match, thereby becoming number one contender to the World Title. The action was decent enough, although it lacked that extra drama that you normally get from far superior I Quit bouts from the past. The referee had to restart the match after discovering that Colter framed Ricardo Rodriguez for throwing in the towel for Del Rio, so a struggling Del Rio heroically managed to apply his signature armbreaker to force Swagger to scream "I quit!"  

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns defeated Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) (c) to obtain the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tornado Tag contest. Wisely the match wasn't kept too long, which kept the action exciting and at a fast pace throughout. A fun watch, and nice work from every wrestler involved. Afterwards Ambrose joined his teammates and the trio posed with their new gold, I'm so glad the WWE have kept the momentum going for this great young act.

Randy Orton pinned Big Show in an Extreme Rules match. It was fair enough for the majority, although I was personally expecting a bit more excitement from it. Neither man did a poor job on any level but for an Extreme Rules match it didn't really live up to the name, Big Show's body splash onto a ladder balanced on two chairs was the only remotely 'Extreme' thing that happened. I can't help feel two other wrestlers would've made more from this stipulation. Orton finished off Show with a punt kick, which was a nice touch.

John Cena (c) versus Ryback in a Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship ended in a No Contest after Ryback forced the champ through part of the stage display. The fans in attendance booed the unresolved ending to the bout. The match itself had been a dramatic and engaging one, with both men playing to their strengths and utilising weapons and the outside ring environment to keep the interest going.

For me this was a much more entertaining WWE Title clash than the one at WrestleMania last month, and definitely exceeded my expectations. The ending did feel like a bit of a cop out, but it was a fair way of preserving both men's status and keeping the feud going into Payback next month.  

Brock Lesnar defeated Triple H in a Steel Cage match. As expected it was an intense and drama-filled main event, filled with effective near falls and battling till the bitter end. I know there are many fans out there who weren't particularly into Lesnar versus Triple H at 'Mania, but I was, so it's hardly a surprise that I ate this up and enjoyed it from the opening bell when 'The Game' skipped his entrance altogether and attacked his rival from behind.  

Paul Heyman of course also played his part as manager superbly, low blowing Triple H and taking a Pedigree along the way and keeping the support for his client going vocally throughout. For me he's certainly the finest manager I've ever seen in pro wrestling. Going into this I already knew I was going to enjoy it, and it didn't disappoint. I can understand people's issues with Triple H and his style of matches he plans out, but there's always excitement and there's always a story to be told, which is more than can be said for most bouts you'll see on a Raw or SmackDown. Lesnar grabbed the winning pinfall after cracking Trip's sledgehammer into his head and then applying an F5.  

Overall it was an enjoyable card for the majority, with a few dips along the way. My highlights were Ambrose versus Kofi, The Shield versus Team Hell No, the WWE Title match and the main event. The last two bouts mentioned especially salvaged the event for me, giving it some much needed drama and excitement. But the biggest thing I'm probably taking away from Extreme Rules is the continued push of The Shield, it's a relief that the most exciting young act in the company is still getting the attention they deserve.    

My WWE Raw, 13th May 2013 Recap

Triple H and Lesnar battle it out in the cage. Should be a great one on Sunday. Photo credit: WWE.com

Jerry Lawler kicked things off by bringing out Fandango and Chris Jericho for a dance off. But as Fandango got started his partner Summer Rae accidentally tripped and couldn't continue. A furious Fandango then decided to abandon his dance partner, but made a quick return to cheap shot Jericho, eventually taking him out of the ring and cracking a bit of the flooring from their contest into Y2J's head. It was then revealed that it was all a ruse as Summer jumped up and danced away with Fandango.  

Ryback pinned Zack Ryder in a brief and forgettable squash match. Nothing much to see here.

Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) bested Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) in a short and average tag bout. It was passable, but there were no remarkable performances to be found. O'Neil grabbed the winning schoolboy pin after Young had struck Clay in the throat. I can't say a feud between these two teams will exactly set my World alight.  

Teddy Long announced that due to Dolph Ziggler's injury (he suffered a concussion during last week's SmackDown taping) he would not be able to defend the World Championship at Extreme Rules, so instead there would be a number one contenders match for the title pitting Del Rio against Swagger in an I Quit match. The announcement was met with indifference and boos, fans grew tired of seeing these two face each other a long while ago. 

Kofi Kingston defeated Damien Sandow in a fair encounter. I'd personally like to see the US Champion do well, but he's had pushes stopped and started so often it's hard to invest in him, nevertheless he's on good form at the moment. 

After a brief interview, Mark Henry used Josh Matthews as an example of how to win a Strap match after pushing him over and dragging him around the ring, then letting him go. Henry then asked Sheamus to join him in the ring to get an taste of what's to come this Sunday, which the 'Celtic Warrior' did, but not before grabbing his own strap and managing to whip Henry out of the ring. 

Randy Orton beat Antonio Cesaro in a decent outing. Both men looked solid in the ring, with crisp action as expected from these two talents. It just needed a bit more time to make more of a lasting impression.

Absurdly during the match we had Michael Cole urging us to get the WWE app so we could see a live interview with Big Show, amongst other things while the show's going on. Where's the sense in having other segments happening at the same time match ups are taking place? Just daft.

The Miz beat Heath Slater in a passable contest. Miz gave a decent effort here, and Slater looked okay, but the wrestling never reached a particularly high standard. Miz gained the submission victory after applying the Figure Four Leglock. I don't mind him using the move like a lot of fans, but I'd like to see him break down the legs of his opponent a bit more beforehand.   

John Cena and Team Hell no (Daniel Bryan and Kane) won via disqualification versus The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) in a stellar six-man elimination tag match. The contest contained plenty of exciting action and some terrific displays, especially from Bryan, Ambrose and Rollins.

Kane was first eliminated via DQ after he assaulted Ambrose on the outside with the covering for the announce desk. An angered 'Big Red Machine' ran rampant through the trio just before he was sent to the back. Next his Team Hell No teammate Daniel Bryan was eliminated after being pinned by Ambrose. Rollins was then pinned after a poorly executed AA from Cena, and Reigns next DQ'd for shoving the referee.

As Cena then looked to make Ambrose tap with the STFU, the other two Shield members ran in to attack the WWE Champion and Triple Powerbomb him, causing the ref to ring the bell for another disqualification and end the bout. Ryback then marched out and looked to leave Cena alone, but decided otherwise and then smashed a steel chair onto his injured ankle.

Jack Swagger won via count out versus Big E Langston in a pretty pedestrian encounter. Swagger was selected over Del Rio to face Big E via a vote on the WWE app, which did surprise me a little. To be fair the match was certainly watchable, which exceeded my expectations, and Big E looked like he'd improved a bit in the ring, although he still has a fair way to go. As Big E dominated on the outside he was caught out by the wily Swagger, who managed to get back into the ring before the ten count. 

Alberto Del Rio then ran out and after tussling with Big E and Swagger, managed to lock on his signature armbreaker on the 'All American'. To be honest Del Rio's actions were more heel-like here than anything.

AJ Lee bested Natalya in a drab affair up until the very end when AJ pulled out a nice submission for the win as Natalya went for a sidewalk slam.

Rightfully Divas Champion Kaitlyn asked on commentary during the bout why Nikki and Brie Bella were even out there. They have nothing to do with the current title picture and it did seem quite odd, plus it overshadows AJ and Kaitlyn's feud. Add all that to the Divas champ receiving another gift from her secret admirer during all this and it seemed overkill.   

Triple H stood in a steel cage and stated that earlier in his pro wrestling career he was advised to "hate" in order to succeed and advance himself, and had learnt to hate and damage people because of it, which he claimed he would do at Extreme Rules. He then dared Lesnar to join him in the cage right there and then, Paul Heyman then came out with Brock Lesnar and urged his client not be lured by 'The Game'.

Heyman went on to state that "hate" was an appropriate word for the COO's situation, since he would hate facing all his loved ones after loosing to Lesnar this Sunday and failing them. Triple H had enough and claimed that Heyman was holding Lesnar back because he was his meal ticket and he couldn't afford for him to loose his mystic by falling to him once again, and finally asked if Lesnar was the beast, or if he was "Brock Lesnar, the bitch." This was enough excuse for Lesnar to storm down to the ring, where the two had a heated brawl until Triple H managed to send Lesnar through the cage door and into Heyman. It was a strong end to the show, with the fans well into it.

Overall it was a decent enough show, and above average for this year. The highlights were the entertaining six-man tag, Orton versus Cesaro and the heated battle between Lesnar and Triple H, now that is how you end a Raw heading into a PPV. The only poor periods for me were the divas match (with way too much going on), the Prime Time Players versus Tons of Funk and the constant mention of the WWE app. That kind of thing doesn't normally bother me, but when they're telling you to check out what's happening backstage when a match is actually taking place it's just ridiculous. 

My WWE SmackDown, 3rd May 2013 Recap

The Shield victorious once again. Photo credit: WWE.com

Ryback pinned Daniel Bryan in an enjoyable opener, largely thanks to the hard work of Bryan who really can bring out the best in any wrestler. In Ryback's finest ever singles match both men played their part well as they battled back and fourth, each giving worthy efforts. It was also nice to see Bryan made to look very competitive here too, he deserves another World Title run somewhere down the line.

Fandango beat Zack Ryder in a rather forgettable contest. Neither man looked terrible by any means, but they failed to really engage me at all. Fandango gained the winning pinfall after applying his signature flying leg drop.

Ricardo Rodriguez versus Zeb Colter ended in a disqualification after Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio ran in and began attacking each other and their rival's allies. This cued Teddy Long (who was in charge for the night) to play a classic Long move and put the four into a tag match. But once again the tag bout ended in a DQ after Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston ran in and began beating on the World Champion's rivals, so Long once again booked another tag match, but this time a three way one. It was all a bit overkill I felt.

Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez bested Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter and Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston in a decent enough three way tag bout. Del Rio and Ziggler were the two standout performers here, each giving fine displays. The match on the whole was quite enjoyable, with a fast pace and effective short bursts from most involved. I'd have much rather had more of this match than the waste of time that was the two previous ones, just strange booking.

After a message from The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) from backstage regarding The Undertaker and Kane, it was revealed that they'd taken out Daniel Bryan as he lied beaten on the floor. Not very nice, eh?

Randy Orton defeated Damien Sandow in a fair encounter. The wrestling was stellar enough, but nothing exceptional. After the win Big Show accused Orton's selfishness and ego of costing them the match against The Shield at WrestleMania. This then gave Sandow the chance to apply a Terminus, which Show found very amusing, but warned 'The Viper' that at Extreme Rules things won't be so funny.  

Mark Henry beat Sheamus in an arm wrestling contest, so the Irishman goaded Henry into doing another one with the left arm. But once again this was a ploy by Sheamus, much like in the tug of war on Monday night, and he punched Henry and applied a Brogue Kick to topple the 'World's Strongest Man'. Much like the tug of war segment on Raw it was also a bit drab.

Dean Ambrose pinned Kane in a solid main event. Both men worked well here and sold like pros, which is a rarity for most matches in WWE nowadays where the majority of wrestlers seem to recover a bit too quickly from attacks.

Kane getting some retribution on Reigns and Rollins at ringside also added some excitement to the bout, but the numbers caught up to him as the Shield members distracted Kane towards the end which allowed Ambrose to apply a headlock driver for the one-two-three. The trio then beat down 'The Big Red Monster' and triple powerbombed him before taking the tag team title belts and posing with them over the fallen champion.

Overall it was a fair SmackDown, with a mixed bag as far as match quality goes. The highlights were the triple threat tag team match, Bryan versus Ryback and the main event. The rest of the contests were pretty unremarkable to be honest, and there was a lack of any substantial promos or segments. Fortunately the most promising young act in WWE today The Shield are still looking strong and providing solid matches.    

My WWE SmackDown, 19th April 2013 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Fandango kicked things off by dancing/flirting with Lilian Garcia, but soon dropped her and claimed how bad her dance skills were. His opponent Santino Marella then joined him and and made a few lame jokes then danced to Fandango's theme. It wasn't a great opening to the show.

Fandango pinned Santino Marella in an average outing. Unlike his dancing Fandango showed little flair in the ring and both men gave rather pedestrian displays.

Kofi Kingston bested Wade Barrett in a largely pedestrian contest. There were a few decent moments but to be honest the match ups between these two tend to start to blur together for me, there's never anything remarkable or that exciting that seems to occur when they lock up. Plus the amount of times Kofi's had a push killed off has almost numbed me to him getting a win because I just don't see it leading to anything significant. 

Backstage Sheamus gained some payback on Mark Henry when he barged him through a railing during an interview. Just before that when quizzed as to why he'd been attacking Sheamus as of late, Henry replied with "Because it's what I do" well at least that's all cleared up then. What a nonsensical feud. 

Alberto Del Rio beat Jack Swagger in a decent enough encounter. As with each of their contests there is solid wrestling but just a lack of real interest there. Swagger's lost momentum fast since Elimination Chamber and Del Rio has a lack of any character, and it's hard to invest in a match when you have little interest in the participants themselves.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) appeared on the big screen and  claimed that Ryback looking on at them taking out Cena on this week's Raw was evidence that he realised they were delivering real justice. They also said that while The Undertaker has an unbeaten streak at WrestleMania, they have an unbeaten streak period and that his  time "is up" come next Monday when they face him and Team Hell No in a six-man tag bout. I'm very much looking forward to that one.

The Great Khali, Hornswaggle and Natalya bested Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes in an average mixed tag match. The quality of the bout was hardly a surprise, I mean Epico and Primo could only do so much with the limited Khali and Hornswaggle. 

Big Show and Mark Henry toppled Randy Orton and Sheamus in a pretty unremarkable tag bout for the most part. There were fair periods but unfortunately they were overrun by pedestrian action and dull submission holds. Afterwards Show and Henry celebrated together and seemed pretty close-knit, could they be forming a new team? The tag division could use more relevant teams right now.

Overall it was a mediocre and forgettable show for the majority, with only the Shield promo and Del Rio versus Swagger encounter bordering above average, and even they weren't anything that special. Poor offering form the blue brand this week, and that's saying something. 

My WWE TLC 2012 Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Pre show Divas Battle Royale - Layla versus Kaitlyn versus Alicia Fox versus Natalya versus Tamina Snuka versus Aksana versus Rosa Mendes versus Cameron versus Naomi:

Expecting the usual forgettable battle royale here, but with the current crop of Divas, so even more forgettable, and possibly uncomfortable to watch. The only thing eventful I could see happening here is if there's a surprise entrant (AJ?) turning up, otherwise Kaitlyn's the only one I really see winning it with her current run. 

Winner: Kaitlyn

#1 Contendership Tables Match - Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) versus Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara:

My guess for opener of the night, with a solid tables match to get the crowd going. I'm expecting good things here, and possibly a horribly entertaining botch from Mr. Cara at some point. While there has been no actual build up between the two teams leading into the event I'm looking forward to it, with four guys (especially Rhodes and Mysterio) that should put on good displays here and work an exciting tag match. Team Rhodes Scholars are the obvious choice to win and face Team Hell No next month at Royal Rumble for me. 

Winners: Team Rhodes Scholars

Intercontinental Championship Match - Kofi Kingston (c) versus Wade Barrett:

Should be a worthy enough contest over the title, with Kofi's recent good form and hopefully some hard work from Barrett (not having a go, his matches just don't always deliver with excitement). The result was tricky for me to predict, but I'm going with Kofi to retain. To be honest there's no particularly reason I just see that as most likely.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

United States Championship Match - Antonio Cesaro (c) versus R-Truth:

Again should be a decent title clash, but going by their recent outings I'm not expecting anything that spectacular. I'm hoping, and think that Cesaro will retain here. He's been on great form lately and deserves to move beyond the frankly quite stale R-Truth now. 

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Dolph Ziggler versus John Cena:

I'm quite optimistic for this one, and I can see both men delivering the goods on the night. To be fair to Cena he has had a good track record with ladder matches in the past, and I expect something typically "Holy sh*t!" from the 'Show Off'. Ziggler needs to retain the contract here on PPV after loosing to Cena over the last few weeks, although I can no way see him winning fairly. Never. Someone is going to aid Dolph. The Shield? The possibly returning Mark Henry? I'm not too sure, but someone. 

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championship Chairs Match - The Big Show (c) versus Sheamus:

Again I'm quite looking forward to this bout, with both men delivering surprisingly entertaining matches on the last two pay-per-views. This feud has far exceeded what I expected it to be, and Big Show has been a great heel for me. In fact I can't remember him being on better form. Quite a lot of fans have speculated that Ziggler will cash in here to mirror last year when Daniel Bryan memorably cashed in to become World Champion at the same event. I can't see it myself, or I possibly think that Ziggler will attempt to but once again be thwarted somehow. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for Dolph to finally do it, I just don't see it happening here but at WrestleMania next year to really make a statement. What better stage for 'The Show Off'? Oh, and Show to win via dubious circumstances once again.

Winner: Big Show

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Tag Team Match - Ryback and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose): 

Ah the main event, and an interesting one for sure. Shield have to be victorious here, have to. It would seriously cut their momentum short if they were defeated here I reckon. I can see a new member possibly joining them tonight too, maybe Brad Maddox? I can see Shield someone preventing Ryback from coming out straight away, beating on Bryan and Kane and then taking on the wrath of their hungry nemesis. Then again I could see this as a simple back and fourth encounter, who knows? This one is really an open book. Plus we have WWE Champion CM Punk at ringside, so he'll be playing a part here somehow. 

Winners: The Shield

My WWE Survivor Series 2012 Recap

Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns make their mark. Photo credit: WWE.com  

Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd and Brodus Clay defeated the Prime Time Players, Epico, Primo and Tensai in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match. It was an enjoyable start to the show, with largely decent action to get the crowd going. Unfortunately the period between Tensai and Clay was rather sloppy, but the other members of the teams involved gave worthy efforts, especially Kidd and Mysterio. 

The eliminations went as follows: Brodus Clay was first taken out by Tensai, then Tensai by Justin Gabriel with a quick roll up, next was Titus O'Neil by Tyson Kidd, Epico by Kidd via submission from the sharpshooter, Primo by Mysterio, and finally Darren Young by Mysterio after the remaining four members of his team all applied high flying moves for an exciting finish. 

On the way out to her match backstage, Kaitlyn was attacked by a hooded assailant  just like at Night of Champions. only this time she discovered that it was Aksana wearing a fake blonde wig. Eve quickly ran up to her and feigned concern, but the challenger to her title was onto her.

Eve (c) bested Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Championship in a fair effort by both women. As expected it wasn't anything terrific or that exciting, but it wasn't bad and I'll take that from the current Divas division. And as the current top talent in said division Eve was the right person to win here.

Antonio Cesaro (c) beat R-Truth to retain the United States Title in a decent contest.  Cesaro was on his usual solid form, with Truth also providing a worthy display. Not necessarily the most gripping bout but still a fun watch. Giving Cesaro the US strap was certainly the right move, it hasn't been this relevant or entertaining since the (then) red hot Ryder won it last year.

AJ Lee came out and presented a series of fake images to Vickie Guerrero with her on various dates with JR, Ricardo Rodriguez and Brodus Clay as payback for the treatment she's received from the managing supervisor of Raw every week in their tedious scandal storyline. She also revealed that the WWE Board of Directors will fire Vickie if she lays a finger on her. Tamina then ran in and took out AJ for Guerrero, applying a Superfly Splash to finish her off. It wasn't a great segment, and like I've already typed I hope this feud between Vickie and AJ is resolved soon.

Sheamus won via disqualification versus Big Show (c), therefore Show retained the World Heavyweight Title. Once again these two put on an intense World Championship battle, with plenty of exciting moments. 'The Great White' dominated the start, but Show soon took over after applying a spear as Sheamus came off the top rope. The Irishman later on applied an impressive electric chair drop to the champ to even the odds. For the finish Big Show pulled the referee into the way of an oncoming Brogue Kick, then applied a KO punch for the on-two-three when Sheamus was distracted by the condition of the official.

But after reviewing the footage the referee in charge then disqualified Show for pulling the official in the way. As the furious champion argued over the decision, Sheamus came to and began attacking him with a steel chair to presumably set up some kind of stipulation match for TLC next month. Show begged for forgiveness after many strikes, but instead Sheamus applied a Brogue Kick to the giant and left. It was a nice way to prolong their feud. And I have to admit when I'm wrong, I didn't think their rivalry would be worthwhile, but it's actually provided some engaging contests and had decent build ups and segments. I'm quite looking forward their next match at TLC.

Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow and David Otunga) defeated Team Foley (Randy Orton, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Kane and Kofi Kingston) in a tradition Survivor Series elimination match. And this was yet another fine team match for the night. Every man put in a good display (bar Otunga, who looked rather ropey as usual) and the pace was kept nice and fast to keep the fans engaged and the excitement going.

It's hard to pick out any particular performances to mention, like I said it was a solid effort by most involved, but if I had to I'd say Ziggler and Orton. For the finish Orton went a little old-school as he attempted a punt kick on Ziggler, but failed as Dolph managed to get in a nice superkick for the winning pin. The exact right man was the sole survivor here, Ziggler needed this win in a big way. I wouldn't mind seeing him now feud with Foley if the rumours are true about Mick jumping into the ring again for TLC. 

The eliminations went as follows: Damien Sandow by Kane after a Choke Slam, Kane quickly followed by Ziggler after arguing with (who else?) Bryan, Otunga via submission via the No Lock by Bryan, Kingston by Barrett, Bryan by Del Rio (which the fans were not pleased with), Barrett by Miz, Miz by Del Rio, Del Rio by Orton and finally Orton by Ziggler.

CM Punk (c) bested John Cena and Ryback in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Championship, and it was an...interesting main event. The match itself varied in quality, and on the whole was decent enough but nothing spectacular. Not up to the quality you expect for a WWE Title bout anyway.

But fortunately a very nice twist at the end turned the match into something far more interesting, and has got many fans already buzzing. During the end as Ryback went to pin Cena after applying a Shell Shock, three men posing as workers at ringside dragged him out of the ring and powerbombed him through the Spanish announce table, allowing Punk to cover Cena and retain his strap.

These three men were Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins of NXT. If you haven't heard of Rollins or Ambrose (and really, you should have) then look them up, because if WWE book this angle correctly they should become big names and fast in the company. I'm certainly excited by the ending, with the current ratings drop for Raw they knew they had to bring in some fresh talent and they made some smart choices. And most importantly this actually has me greatly anticipating Raw tomorrow night.

Overall Survivor Series was a pretty successful pay-per-view, with no bad matches on the card and a very strong ending. The Team Foley versus Team Ziggler match and World Heavyweight Championship collision were the highlights for me, and of course the debut of Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns. My only real gripe with the event was the main event, while it wasn't bad by any means it wasn't that strong and certainly not up to the standard of a main event of one of the big four PPV's. Otherwise I quite enjoyed it.